St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-09-29

of laughter greeted this accusation, to
which Miss Flossie replied only by a
bright smile, which showed two rows
of exquisite teeth, and dimple in
which Cupid might have taken board
for the summer. "And there's nothing
on earth to eat up there" added one
young man.
"Oh, FlOssie eats nothing but oat
meal and potatoes I" said Jane.
Alfred's attention was aroused. .EHow
very unusual, Miss Breck,n he said.
81 eat bread and sometimes meat
but my aunt, who has always haC
charge of me, never allowed me to eat
all sorts of things, as other girls do,
said FlOssie, with pretty blush and q
deprecated glance.
every sensible of her." said Alfred
becoming more interested. Presently
he learned that the place she intended
to visit was farmhouse in B cOun-
ty, near a village with which he was
| familiar.
81 go there sometimes the fishing is
quite tolerable," he said.
81 go to visit second cousin of my
aunt and l think heard her speak of
you last summer she had seen you
by chance, and inquired about yOu,"
said FlOssie.
"And so you like oatmeal and farm
life 2" asked Alfred.
"Indeed, l love both but l hope
you wont think me- a dreadful rOmp,
| from what your cousin said. Aunt
Kate did not approve of me dancing in
hot rooms, but she allowed me to climb
trees rIIou L was alone at Jno rsrr IL ,
aud it is such fun. Aunt Kate says a
girl should be healthy, before all
things, and as Pm always we'll | sup
pose can thank her for it,"
Alfred's admiration for this lovely
com bination of beauty and gentleness
increased with every word she spoke,
and the LIST of August found him board
ing at the house of Silas Cloud, the
second cousin of the aunt of FlOssie
Brock. Flossie had been drought up
strictly" but in a small country town,
where the need of a chaperOn had new
er been impressed on her so that her
enjoyment of Alfred's society was I'M
clouded by single thought of Ell
quette or "good FORM" And Alfred
was in an earthly paradise. Every
morning Flossie took a walk before
breakfast, and then enjoyed her hearty
but simple meal of oatmeal, potatoes,
milk and bread. Alfred shared the
walk and the breakfast, and then he
and Flossie climbed trees. This sounds
startling but it was decorOusly done.
Alfred climbed first, and assisted FlOs
sic up, and as the trees were low
branching orchard trees, climbing in
vOlved even less rOmping energy than
tennis. There among the rustling
leaves and sociable insects Alfred
basked in the light of FlOssie's pres
ence, and discovered new charms in
her every moment. He found her fully
conscious that her mental acquire
ments were far inferior to his, and
eager to listen to his instruction and
advice, and as he read to her choice
selections of prose and poetry his joy
at her appreciative sympathy was in
creased by frequent chances over the
top of his book, for FlOssie was grace
itself, and each position she took
among the curving branches was more
lovely than the last. On Sundays
Flossie exchanged her graceful tennis
costume, and she and Alfred attended
the afternoon service at the village
church. Afterwards, on their way
home, they fingered in the shady paths
and talked philosophy.
"Bless her little heart! She has
more sympathy than any girl ever
knew, and she is as good as she is pref
ty," said Alfred, rapturously, to him
self, as her beautiful eyes SO often met
his, full of gentlest confidence in his
wisdom and scarce yelled admiration
of his manly PROJECTIONS.
1t was an enchanted solitude. Silas
nd I, 70 n la nt
times, or at distance, when engaged
suits. Alfred hardly cared to read his
letters or newspapers; Flossie receiv-
ed very few letters and this met AL
fred's approval, for he objected to Il
collection of female
friends, such as most girls have.
Flossie had only one correspondent
delphia girl, who had attended the
in the town where Flossie
lived, and had visited at FlOssie's
home.
"Aunt Kate distrusted her at first,
because she was boarding school girl
Il was never away to SCHOOL, but she
liked her afterward, except when Belle
ate green apples, and wanted to make
me eat one. Auntie was furious for
while," murmured Flossie, in her
soothing, musical voice.
"What very fine woman your aunt
must be! l approve entirely of her
ideas. | have noticed lately that you
do not take bit of every apple you
see, as many people do"
ooh, auntie did not allow me to eat
between meals !" said Flossie.
This hrOu nht rnattapS tO q
crisis.
"Here have l found youth, beauty,
dOcility and digestiOn-what more can
l wish ?" thought Alfred.
Before sunset of that day FlOssie was
to him, and before Christmas
they were married. Love and Hygeia
presided over this suspicious union,
and Alfred was in the seventh heaven
of earthly bliss.
But of the two genii who attend up
on good resolves, there was one who
had yet to he heard from.
Genius number one had found AL
fred his ideal girl.
Genius number two cunningly con-
cealed from him the following letter,
which FlOssie wrote soon after their
engagement had been made public:
My darling Bel Wish me joy: I've
got out OF aunt Kate's clutches, and in
to the hands of rich, handsome and
soft adOreri We will be married i'm
How did | get him you'll
say, living in this dull hole. Well, my
owe, last summer auntie sent me, for
economy, to board at cousin Silas
Clouds while she went north. There
heard of rich young fellow who had
been fishing in s.. | traced him to